Tajikistan carrier taps DAE for Boeing jets

DAE brings Somon Air to its 737-8 lease book: Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) has inked a long-term lease with Tajikistan’s Somon Air for two new Boeing 737-8 aircraft — with delivery due in 2026. The value of the agreement was not disclosed.

Hello, Central Asia? Until now, DAE hadn’t signed agreements with Central Asian airlines — largely dominated by Western giants and Chinese lessors — marking a new market entry.

DATA POINT- Currently, DAE owns, manages, and has orders for a total of 237 Boeing planes, with a wider fleet of 750 aircraft valued at USD 23 bn.

Oman tests local shipbuilding with LNG tugboat build

Asyad Drydock to build Oman’s first locally made tugboat: Asyad Drydock — a subsidiary of Asyad Group — has inked a strategic agreement with global maritime services firm Svitzer to construct Oman’s first domestically manufactured tugboat for Oman LNG. The project marks a step up from providing services to actually building a critical marine asset in-country –– with 50% local components targeted by Asyad.

Lucid pushes for EV supply chain localization in Saudi

PIF-backed Lucid is taking its Saudi localization strategy a step further, extending plans beyond vehicle assembly to include sourcing rare-earth magnets from Saudi suppliers, CEO Marc Winterhoff told Semafor on Friday. The EV maker is looking to source output from a rare earths processing plant planned by Ma’aden in partnership with the US-based PM Materials, Winterhoff said. The move would anchor the entire EV supply chain within the Kingdom.

Global dynamics are at play: Turning to Saudi suppliers would effectively cut China out of Lucid’s supply chain as early as this year, after the world’s largest supplier of rare earths imposed export restrictions last year amid escalating trade tensions with the US. “We are well underway to move completely away from China in 2026,” Winterhoff added.

BACKGROUND- Lucid expects its first Saudi-made vehicle to roll off the line before the end of the year at its factory in King Abdullah Economic City, where construction wrapped up in December. The plant will have an annual capacity of 150k units, mostly for export, and will later expand production to include existing models, such as Air and Gravity.

UAE’s Lithium lock-in

The UAE has stepped into the global EV supply chain. Abu Dhabi-based manufacturer Titan Lithium Industries signed a multi-year supply framework agreement worth over USD 300 mn with Mercedes-Benz to deliver battery-grade lithium for the carmaker’s global EV portfolio, state news agency Wam reports. Commercial supply is set to begin in 2028.

Why it matters: The agreement positions the UAE securely in the downstream section of critical minerals production, as it looks to boost localization efforts and establish itself as a player in the various steps of the supply chain

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